Whitetail Deer

Minnesota’s firearms deer season may be over but the big game animals are still very much on the move. Whitetail deer are a constant concern for motorists, as car-deer collisions continue racking up big repair bills throughout the year.

Minnesota wildlife managers have announced rules for a “conservative” deer season to rebuild the whitetail population across much of the state. The Department of Natural Resources says only one deer can be harvested in 95 percent of the state, and the harvest of does will be further restricted.

Wildlife managers plan to boost the whitetail deer population in several parts of southeastern Minnesota while holding deer numbers steady or bringing them down in certain other zones in the region. The Department of Natural Resources said the decision reflects input from the public and a stakeholder advisory team. Similar processes elsewhere are expected to affect deer hunting regulations over much of the state during the next several years.